


An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctors Away (If You Aim Well Enough)

by keelerpeeler



Series: One Shots [2]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: 5+1 Things, Fake AH Crew, M/M, One Shot, uhhhhh i love this ship and i hope yall like this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-09-01 15:36:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16767979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keelerpeeler/pseuds/keelerpeeler
Summary: Matt is hired on as the crew's fill-in doctor, and Gavin's not happy about it. (But he learns to be)---5 times Matt does his job, and 1 time Gavin does it for him





	An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctors Away (If You Aim Well Enough)

**Author's Note:**

> Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hello my peeps how's it hanging uhhhh yeah i know i should be uploading Cheat Codes but I'm actually going to wait until I've finished the series entirely to upload it? Then at least there will be a schedule!! Until it's all done, I've got some one shots I'll post periodically so you don't forget I exist :) I've been working on this for like a MONTH now i'm actually the worst i'm not sure if i experience writers block or i'm just lazy. either way, here's a fic i've been excited to finish but havent until this very moment :) also its another 5 +1 except its actually 5 this time! look at me i'm finally catching on but anyway i hope you enjoy i love Gavin and Matt and it's lowkey a rare pair so we stan alright just read it i'm rambling

Gavin doesn’t like hospitals. The smell of bleach and despair, the bright lighting, the fake smiles of doctors and tears of families. He can’t stand it. He _especially_ doesn’t like the Crew’s personal infirmary, the same bright lighting, the same smell of cleaning supplies, the same feeling of death all around him. He _especially_ doesn’t like that they got a new “doctor”, _(a doctor for a criminal isn’t a doctor anymore)_ , because Gavin was _used_ to Caleb. He was used to Caleb’s friendly attitude, his big smile, the way he tried to make everything as painless as possible _(and when you’re pulling a bullet out of someone, that’s near impossible, yet somehow Caleb did it.)_

But the Roosters needed a nurse after a heist gone wrong, leaving Burnie bedridden, and Geoff donated Caleb, _(Geoff and Burnie are old friends),_ leaving the crew with just Jack. _Jack is no doctor_ . She gets the job done, as she was the original “nurse” back before they had a lot of money, but she doesn’t have as much time to do that anymore. So they searched and searched, and, incomes _Matthew Bragg. Matthew,_ who’s distant and spins in his office chair out of boredom, like he _waits_ for injuries. _Matthew,_ who doesn’t say much and only appears when needed, but somehow everyone likes him. _Matthew,_ who Gavin _despises._ He’s not like Caleb: He’s not sweet or gentle. He doesn’t try to distract anyone while he’s working, he just _works._ He doesn’t have a big smile, or friendly eyes, or a soothing voice. He just _works._ And Gavin _hates_ him.

Michael says he’s a nice guy. _Get to know him, Gavvers. You’ll like him. He’s your type._ Gavin can’t help but scoff at that. Him, be friends with the epitome of _the_ doctor a kid has nightmares about? _No thanks._ Sure, Gavin can admit, there’s _something_ about Matthew he can’t quite place. He’ll never know though, because he’s been avoiding stepping foot in his “office”.

_Well, until he can’t._

1.

The heist was simple enough. Just a plain bank robbery. Lindsay decided to run cams, sending Gavin out into the field, which he was fine with. _Why not?_ He was going to do crowd control with Ryan, Michael and Geoff getting the cash from the safe, Jack waiting in the Roosevelt and Jeremy across the street keeping an eye out. Ryan and him had the crowd on their knees, the tellers crying, the area secure. Ryan swung around his minigun, head back in a laugh, skull mask frightening small children. Everything was going great.

Until it went to _absolute shit_.

Some _brave_ soul decided to reveal their concealed weapon, and well, _down Gavin goes,_ shoulder burning. He’d been shot before - everyone has in their lifestyle - but you never get used to it. Everything popped off from there, the shots being fired, voices in the earpiece, sirens somewhere in the distance. Gavin squeezes his eyes shut and presses his palm against the wound, applying much needed pressure. Someone picks him up, arm under his legs and another under his neck, Gavin immediately recognizing him as _Ryan._ The smell of gunpowder, a faint scent of blood, and the sharp mix-in of mint, and Gavin leans into the touch, because it’s _his Ryan._ Ryan is a big softie underneath the harsh exterior, and that’s what Gavin loves about him. Ryan is the only one that entertains his random questions, that stands up for him when he does something stupid, that trusts him with a big project. Ryan is like a big brother to him, and the fact that he’d do anything for him warms Gavin’s heart. _Focus on Ryan_ , Gavin tells himself, feeling the warmth of his arms, his fingers slightly digging into his legs to prevent from dropping him, Gavin snuggling in closer.

“I got you Gav,” Ryan whispers, low and soft and right in Gavin’s ear, and Gavin smiles, the last thing he remembers is Ryan placing a kiss to his forehead.

\----

Gavin opens his eyes, immediately blinded by the bright lights. _Great,_ he thinks, squeezing his eyes closed and then opening them again, slower this time. _The infirmary._ He looks around, seeing the heart monitor ( _when did we get one of those?),_ and a bandage around his shoulder and arm, put in a sling. He sighs, looking up at the ceiling. _Fantastic. All this bloody work in armoring his car -_ which Michael has been saying he should do for years _\- and wearing extra kevlar for some civilian (A civilian!) to shoot him. All this preparation,_ he sighs, barely moving his head to glance around the room, _so he didn’t have to meet Matthew, but now he’s here._ He groans, the door opening as he does.

“Oh, you’re awake!” Matt walks into the room, closing the door behind him. “You’re not in pain, are you?” He approaches the bed, Gavin taken aback by the concern in his tone. He gapes at him, Matt raising an eyebrow. “Gavin?”

“I’m good,” Gavin coughs, “I’m good.” Matt nods, Gavin giving him a sarcastic thumbs-up from his usable hand.

“I’m glad you’re awake,” Matt smiles, wandering to his desk, Gavin rolling his eyes. “I can get some information from you. Let’s say it wasn’t exactly easy pulling a bullet out of you when you’re swatting at me.”

“It’s not easy getting shot, mate,” Gavin mutters, Matt laughing anyway. Gavin tilts his head, watching Matt’s back as he laughs.

“Michael said you were funny,” he adds, looking through papers on his desk.

“Michael is my boi,” Gavin replies, Matt nodding. Matt rolls a chair back over to him with a clipboard in hand, sitting close to the bed. Gavin leans back slightly, Matt scooting back.

“Sorry,” he laughs, Gavin’s face blank. “I guess we haven’t really gotten to know each other.”

“I know who you are, _Matthew._ We’ve met before,” Gavin recalls, remembering the day Geoff brought Matt through the door. Matt didn’t say a word, heading to his office with his shoulders by his ears. “You didn’t talk much.”

“I was nervous,” Matt admits, sighing before sitting up straight again. “No point in that now. Let’s get down to business.” He smiles wide, Gavin snorting. _Exactly as suspected. Straight to the boring stuff._ “Any left over pain?”

“No,” Gavin scoffs, crossing the usable arm across his chest, closing his eyes. _This’ll be fun_.

“Any itching?” Gavin hears Matt write on the notepad in his hands, Gavin blowing air out of his mouth.

“No.”

“Numbness?”

“No.”

“Tingles?”

“No.”

“Sexual activity?”

“No…..Wait-” Gavin sputters, eyes shooting open as he sits up, Matt paying attention to the paper in his hands.

“Fingers in your butt?”

“What are you-”

“Jizz in your face?”

“Matthew what the hell?!” Gavin squawks, Matt bursting into laughter, leaning over on himself, Gavin’s face burning bright red. “Wha- what are you on about?”

“Oh my god,” Matt wheezes, taking is glasses off and wiping his eyes, Gavin’s eyebrows furrowing. “I love my job.”

“What the hell Matthew?” Gavin watches as Matt gathers himself, a smile twitching on Gavin’s face at Matt’s laughter.

“It’s a joke I do,” Matt smiles, leaning back in his chair before rolling it back over to his desk, setting the clipboard down. “People are so used to saying their answers they don’t pay attention to the questions.”

“Evil,” Gavin says in awe, Matt shrugging with his back to him. Gavin drops his smile, shaking his head. _This is Matthew. A mean, mean doctor-man. He’s not Caleb._

“You actually caught on faster than Michael,” Matt chuckles, spinning back around. “He didn’t realize until I asked about ‘erectile dysfunction’, which is like my 8th question.”

“Christ,” Gavin can’t help but laugh, watching a smile grow on Matt’s face, one growing on his own to match. “Of course he’d notice with _that._ ”

“He said you wouldn’t ever notice,” Matt admits, shaking his head. “That’ll be 100 bucks to me.”

“You bet against Michael?”

“Well, you’re the hacker, I’m sure you’re very observant. Hacking isn’t easy.” Matt relaxes into his seat, Gavin’s eyebrows raising. _Most people assume he’s stupid._ Gavin’s heart swells slightly, Gavin internally smacking himself. _This is Matthew. He’s mean._ There's a pungent pause, Matt tapping his foot on the ground, seemingly deep in thought.

“Am I good?” Gavin asks, sliding off the bed.

“Uh yeah,” Matt nods, looking back at the stuff on his desk. “You don’t have to wear the sling, either. Just thought it’d help.”

“Uh, thanks,” Gavin mutters, making his way to the door.

“Come back anytime!” Matt calls after him, Gavin shaking his head and slipping off the sling. _Yeah right._

2.

Technically, Gavin didn’t _ask_ to come back to Matt’s office. Honestly. He just bet that Jeremy couldn’t do a 360 on his motorcycle off the ramp over by the airport, and Jeremy said he could. $100 wager, that’s all it was. The lads drove over to the ramp, Jeremy sliding on his orange and purple helmet and giving Michael and Gavin a thumbs up before speeding towards it, Michael shaking his head. _This is stupid_ , Michael snorted, Gavin shrugging. _And it would’ve been fine_ , if Jeremy had stuck the landing. He landed at 180, falling off his bike and skidding across the ground immediately. Jeremy was fine, just got road rash on his shoulder and arm, and was practically _cackling_ on the way back to the penthouse, Gavin laughing along with him, Michael even pointing out that it looked cool.

Geoff didn’t think so. Actually, he thought quite the opposite. Michael sneaked off before he could get a scolding, ( _which Geoff would do later anyway)_ , and laid into Gavin and Jeremy. _What were you thinking, you could’ve got seriously hurt or dead, I can’t believe I hired you assholes._ Gavin and Jeremy hadn’t stopped giggling, Geoff sending Jeremy off to Matt. Gavin starting walking to his room, Geoff grabbing the back of his shirt.

“Where are you going?” He asks, a smug look on his face, Gavin’s giggling stopping abruptly.

“Back to my room?”

“No you’re not, you’re going with Jeremy to the infirmary.” Geoff’s smirk grew deeper as the blood drained from Gavin’s face. _Geoff knew about Gavin’s_ indifference _to Matt, having ranted to him about it many-a-time._

“Wot! You can’t make me do that!” Gavin squawks, squirming out of Geoff’s grip and fixing his shirt.

“Uh, yeah I can,” Geoff puts his hands on his hips, eyes going over to Jeremy. “Yo lil’ J, Gavin’s coming with you!” And with that, Geoff pushes Gavin down the hallway, Jeremy sending him a bright smile.

“‘Least you could do,” Jeremy shrugs, “it is _your_ fault.”

“You’re the one who agreed to the bet,” Gavin grumbles, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Since you’re here..” Jeremy smiles before falling into Gavin’s arms, Gavin stumbling to keep both of them up, Jeremy’s laugh loud in the hallway.

“You arsehole!” Gavin shoves Jeremy toward the elevator, Jeremy smiling to himself and pressing the button.

“Don’t be bitter,” he says as he steps in, Gavin blowing air out of his nose, moving to stand next to him.

“I am bitter,” Gavin grumbles, the elevator going down. “Geoff’s doing this to torture me.”

“Matt’s not that bad, Gavin,” Jeremy nudges his shoulder, Gavin’s frown deepening. “Oh c’mon, I know you miss Caleb but Matt’s actually a cool guy.”

“Hm.” The elevator dings, both of them stepping off and walking down the hallway.

“Just be cool?” Jeremy looks at Gavin as they walk, raising an eyebrow at him. “There’s a lot you don’t know about him. Just don’t be an asshole and we should be fine.”

“I’m _never_ an asshole,” Gavin puts a hand on his chest, Jeremy shaking his head before pushing at Gavin’s shoulder.

“Whatever,” he snorts, opening the door to Matt’s office. “Yo Matt!” Matt spins around, smiling as he sees Jeremy, a blush on his cheeks as he looks between both of them.

“What can I help you with boys?” He folds his arms behind his back, Gavin rolling his eyes.

“Lil’ J here got himself injured-” Gavin thumbs at Jeremy, Jeremy’s eyes widening as he turns to face Gavin.

“Got myself?! No way buckaroo you’re taking fault with me.”

“ _You_ took the dare!”

“ _You_ dared me!”

“Guys!” Matt yells, stopping Gavin and Jeremy in their argument, both of them stepping back from each other. “What the hell happened?”

“I fell off my bike,” Jeremy grumbles, crossing his arms, wincing. He looks down at his right arm, marks up and down it. “I think I got road rash.”

“Jesus,” Matt gasps, walking over to Jeremy and taking his arm into his hands. “And this is Gavin’s fault?”

“Wot!” Gavin squawks, Jeremy smiling, Matt mirroring him. “First of all, _no_ , and second, I don’t know why that’s important to the analysis of his injuries.”

“Just wondering,” Matt shrugs, pulling Jeremy over to the bed. Jeremy laughs to himself as he sits down, Matt walking back over to his medicine cabinets. Gavin sighs and takes a seat in a spare chair, spinning around as Matt and Jeremy talk to each other.

“You wouldn’t really know, would you _AxialMatt_ ,” Gavin hears Jeremy laugh, Gavin’s eyes on the ceiling. He blows air out of his mouth, his hair flopping.

“I would! Just because I was a hacker doesn’t mean anything!” Matt argues back, Gavin stopping mid-spin in his chair. His eyes widen, sparing a glance over at Matt and Jeremy. _Did he hear that right?_ Matt stands next to the bed, wrapping bandage over Jeremy’s arm.

“You were what?” Gavin speaks up, the boys looking over at him. Matt’s eyes go wide, him reaching and scratching the back of his neck. 

“I..uh..used to be hacker,” Matt mumbles, Gavin straining to hear it. The words register, Gavin’s eyes widening.

“ _You_ used to be a _hacker_?!” Gavin gapes, Matt scratching his head.

“Uh, yeah? Before I was,” Matt pauses, waving his hands in the air, “this, I was a hacker, in Vice City. Under the pseudonym AxialMatt.” Gavin looks over Matt, seeing him tap his fingers against his thigh. _Is he..nervous?_

“Oh,” Gavin hums, thinking this over. “Why’d you stop?”

“Not enough money,” Matt says nonchalantly, Gavin rolling his eyes, Jeremy laughing from his spot on the bed.

“Tell ‘em the real reason Matt,” Jeremy urges, looking over at Gavin. “He’s really a softie.”

“The real reason?” Gavin glances back over at Matt, who looks sheepish.

“Well..uh...I realized that if my friends are hurt, I want to be the one to help, ya know?”

“He’s like a mother-hen,” Jeremy teases, Matt’s face turning red, Gavin’s heart warming. _Didn’t know that,_ he thinks, smiling to himself.

“Shut up Jeremy,” Matt grumbles, swatting the back of Jeremy’s head with a clipboard playfully.

“Hey!” Jeremy laughs and turns around, jumping up and putting Matt in a headlock, rubbing his head with his knuckles. They both laugh, something in Gavin’s gut twisting.

“Get off me,” Matt chuckles, pushing Jeremy off, “and take it easy. I just fixed you up.”

“Right,” Jeremy rolls his eyes, Matt pushing at his good shoulder again. Gavin looks between the two, raising an eyebrow.

“And no more dares,” Matt glances at Gavin and gives Jeremy a stern look, Jeremy giving him a mock salute. “I don’t want to have to fix you up if you can prevent it.”

“No promises,” Jeremy smiles, Matt squeezing the bridge of his nose and sighing. “C’mon Gav, let’s go play some Chicken Horse,” Jeremy says as he starts to leave the room, urging Gavin out.

“One sec,” Gavin replies, Jeremy shrugging and giving Matt a wave before disappearing down the hall, Matt raising an eyebrow.

“Something wrong, Gavin?”

“So...Jeremy?” Gavin asks, Matt’s eyebrow raising even further.

“What about him? Is this about the road rash? Because, I assure you, he’s going to be fine-”

“No,” Gavin cuts him off, shaking his head. “No, I’m talking about _you and him._ ” 

“Jeremy and I? Do you mean as a couple?” Matt tilts his head, Gavin nodding. Matt starts laughing, Gavin taking a step back from him as he bends over, hands on his knees. “Oh my god, _Jeremy and I_ , now that’s funny. Wait ‘till he hears this, he’s going to _lose it._ ” 

“I was just- I- ugh!” Gavin grumbles, face flushing in embarrassment. “Whatever Matthew.”

“Bye Gavin,” Matt teases, wiggling his fingers at Gavin. Gavin crosses his arms over his chest and scoffs, stomping out of the door. He hurries after Jeremy, Matthew’s laughter following him down the hallway.

“What was that about?” Jeremy asks, pressing the button for the elevator.

“Nothing,” Gavin mutters, a small smile forming on his face at the image of Matt laughing. _Nothing at all._

3.

Gavin is very close with Michael. Michael is his _boi._ And, as best friends, one of their favorite things to do, _especially_ after a particularly hard heist or fight against a gang, when they’re both trigger-happy and angry, is to go light some fireworks on Chiliad. And usually, they walk away unscathed, if not a bit warm. But sometimes, _sometimes_ , they come back to the penthouse, new holes burnt into their clothes, wide smiles on their faces despite the pain.

This was one of those times.

Michael is more prone to the “fire-related” incidents, and being the idiots they both are, lit a firework but it wasn’t stable and it fell over, the tiny explosion knocking both Gavin, who was a few feet away, and Michael, who was right next to it, over. Gavin sat up, coughing smoke, hearing Michael’s laugh before actually seeing him. Michael walks over, face alight with joy, sticking out a hand for Gavin to take.

“Did ya see that Gav?” Michael booms as he pulls Gavin to his feet, Gavin wiping the dirt off his pants. “I mean, that was fucking hilarious! The firework just-”

“Micool,” Gavin interrupts, pointing at Michael’s arm. “You’re _bleeding_.”

\----

“For someone that claims they don’t like Matt,” Michael speaks up in the silence of the elevator ride, holding a bloody paper towel to his arm at Gavin’s demand, “you sure seem to visit the guy a lot.”

“I’m only taking you there because you’re bleeding,” Gavin explains, Michael rolling his eyes.

“Why _are_ you coming with me? I can walk.”

“I can’t be worried about my boi?” Gavin and Michael stare at each other, both caving and laughing, Gavin bumping his shoulder against Michael’s good one, Michael bumping his right back. The elevator dings and they step off, a weight dropping in Gavin’s gut. He’s reminded of the embarrassment the last time he was there, but he shakes it off, following behind Michael. Michael shoulders open the door, it slamming into the wall. Matt jumps at his desk, placing a hand on his chest.

“‘Sup Matt!” Michael booms, bursting into laughter. “Sorry man, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I know you’re the explosives guy but you didn’t need to C4 the door open,” Matt sighs, regaining his composure, Gavin laughing under his breath. Matt looks over, eyes going to Gavin. “Oh hey Gavin!” He sends Gavin a wave, Michael bumping Gavin’s shoulder, Gavin waving back. “What brings you guys here?”

“A firework blew up right in front of me,” Michael lifts up his arm, showing the blood dripping from the soggy paper towel. “Whoops.” Matt’s eyes go wide and he beckons Michael over, Gavin trailing behind him. “I think a piece of the firework got stuck in my arm,” Michael explains, Matt removing the paper towel and looking over the wound, Michael smiling at his arm. “Wicked.”

“Not _wicked_ Michael,” Gavin mutters, pointing at the blood. “You’re leaving a blood trail wherever you go.”

“I’ll just get him stitched up,” Matt smiles, letting go of Michael’s arm and turning around, grabbing a first aid kit from his desk drawer and some wipes from the cabinet. Michael walks over to the bed and jumps on it, holding his arm in the air with his free hand. Gavin moves next to him, looking over the wound worryingly.

“I’m fine Gav,” Michael says to him, smiling and tapping his foot against Gavin’s. Gavin smiles back at him, returning the tap. Matt walks over to the two, rolling over a tray of items. Gavin pulls over a chair, pushing it as close to the bed as possible. Matt grabs tweezers off the tray, Michael reaching and taking Gavin’s hand with his free one, squeezing it as Matt pulls the the piece out.

“Hey!” Gavin squawks, slapping at Michael’s hand with his left hand. “You’re going to break my hand! I need that!”

“Oh shut it,” Michael laughs, wincing as Matt pulls the piece completely out. He holds it up, Gavin looking away, gagging loudly. Matt raises an eyebrow, Michael bursting into laughter.

“Weak stomach?” Matt guesses, Michael nodding while he laughs. Gavin coughs, kicking Michael’s leg.

“Stop making fun of me you pleb, that cut is just-” He cuts himself off, gagging again, Michael’s face turning red from laughter. Michael takes his arm away from Matt and shoves it in Gavin’s face, Gavin flushing green before closing his eyes. “Michael cut it out!”

“Give me that,” Matt pulls Michael’s arm back over to him, wiping away the excess blood. “It’s cute you’re here for your boyfriend, Gavin,” he smiles, Gavin and Michael sharing a look before bursting into laughter.

“Michael? My boyfriend?” Gavin shakes his head, giggling as Matt looks over at him, hint of a smile on his face, “no thank you.”

“Uh excuse you, I’d be a great boyfriend,” Michael argues, Gavin rolling his eyes. “I would!”

“Sorry Michael, I wouldn’t date you either,” Matt says as he starts stitching the gash in Michael’s arm, eyes flicking up to Gavin’s before going back to the task. “I couldn’t handle his _explosive_ personality.” Matt snickers to himself, Michael shaking his head.

“That was just awful Matthew,” Gavin points out, laughing anyway. “I’m guessing you pre-wrote that one, just waiting for the right moment.”

“It gets boring all day,” Matt jokes, finishing up the stitch. “Gotta make myself laugh somehow when no one is getting injured.”

“We purposely harm ourselves so you can actually have a job here,” Gavin teases, sending Matt a smile, Matt returning.

“How else would I get paid? I don’t just get to look pretty like you do, Gav.” Matt chuckles as Gavin gasps, Michael laughing at the two of them.

“Matthew, _how rude!_ ” Gavin exclaims, Matt winking at him before handing Michael a sling, walking the tools back over to his desk. Michael slides his arm in the sling, leaning into close as Gavin helps him.

“Seems like you two are getting along,” Michael whispers, Gavin sliding the strap over Michael’s neck.

“He’s not that bad,” Gavin admits, Michael grinning brightly.

“See I told you Gav, you were wrong about not liking him. Matt’s a cool guy!” Michael laughs a little too loudly, slapping Gavin’s back. Gavin winces and spares a glance at Matt, who still has his back to them. Gavin shrugs, facing Michael again and shoving his good arm.

“Shut up, you pleb. You know I hate it when you’re right.” Michael sticks his tongue out, Gavin laughing and following suit. Matt clears his throat from behind them, Gavin looking over his shoulder at him.

“Michael, you’re good to go. Just rest your arm and don’t do anything strenuous.”

“Yeah yeah whatever,” Michael scoffs, flapping a hand. “I’m a professional, Matt. Gavin’s the one that forced me here.”

“I was worried about you arsehole!” Gavin kicks Michael’s shin, Michael smirking and shaking his head.

“You’re lucky I’m in a sling or I’d fucking take you right now.” They both laugh, Matt smiling.

“Look at you, doing what the doctor says.” He gleams, Michael rolling his eyes with a smile.

“Bye Matt,” Michael laughs, standing up and heading for the door. “Wait until Ryan hears about this. Let's go tell him.” Gavin nods, standing up from his chair. Michael leaves the room, Gavin starting to follow but stopping with a hand on his arm.

“Yeah Matthew?” Gavin asks as he turns, Matt looking at the door before meeting Gavin’s eyes.

“Was that true?” Matt’s arms hang by his sides, one of his hands tapping the clipboard against his thigh.

“Was what true?” Gavin raises an eyebrow, Matt scratching the back of his neck.

“What Michael said? That you didn’t like me?”

“Oh.” Gavin looks away, Matt laughing softly.

“I mean, I could’ve guessed that you weren’t my best friend, but I didn’t think you _didn’t like me_ , like at all. I just-”

“I like you now,” Gavin says, eyes widening at what he said. “Like a friend, and stuff.”

“ _And_ _stuff_.” Matt snorts again, patting Gavin’s shoulder. “And to think, I always thought you were cool.”

“You thought I was cool?” Gavin mumbles, and _why is he getting so flustered? It’s Matthew._

“Well..yeah? You’re...you’re _the_ Golden Boy.” Matt’s ears twinge red and it looks so cute- _what the hell?_

“Uh..right.” Gavin clears his throat, looking anywhere but Matt. “I’m gonna go.. I have some work to do, ya know, hacker stuff.”

“Yeah, right,” Matt steps back, Gavin now realizing how close they stood together. Gavin turns to leave, skin tingling where Matt’s hand was. “Wait!” Gavin turns to face him again, Matt suddenly looking awkward. “Um, ya know, since we’re, like, friends now? Do you want to hang out, or something? Play some video games?”

“Yeah!...Yeah, I’d..uh..love that, Matthew. Sounds fun.” Gavin smiles, Matt growing one to match.

“Cool,” Matt nods, backing up towards his desk. “I guess, I’ll text you?”

“Yeah, just..text me,” Gavin replies, backing towards the door, mentally smacking himself. _What the hell has gotten into him?_

“Okay,” Matt sits at his desk, watching as Gavin leaves.

“Okay,” Gavin laughs, stepping out of the room, sprinting down the hallway. He stops to catch his breath, taking a look at Matt’s door. He smiles, shaking his head. _That Matthew._

4.

_Okay_.

_This isn’t horrible,_ Gavin tells himself, looking at the cut in his hand. He glances down the hall, a mere few meters from Matt’s office. _So close._ Gavin looks at the spilled food on the floor, his face heating up. _What’s he gonna tell Matt? Oh, hello Matthew, fine day today. Oh, this? Yeah, I dropped this plate on the way here. I actually made you dinner because I know how hard you work for the crew and I dropped it, and then cut myself on the glass. Haha, I know right? Classic Gavin._ Gavin groans, shutting his eyes. _How bloody embarrassing._ He finally gained the courage to do something _nice_ for Matt and he messes it up. He’s really not _that_ clumsy. Michael rips him to shreds for it, but he’s really not. He was just thinking about Matt’s face and what his reaction could be and he tripped over his own two feet. Why’s that his fault? It’s safe to say Matt makes him nervous. It’s Matt’s fault, actually. He shouldn’t be so damn nerve wracking. _Yeah, this is Matthew’s fault._ The wasted food that Gavin may or may not have taken 2 hours to prepare, ( _because he can’t cook for the life of him and had to start over twice),_ the broken plate, the gash in Gavin’s hand. _All Matt’s fault._

“Gavin?” Matt’s voice echoes down the hall, snatching Gavin’s attention from his hand to Matt’s face, resembling a deer in headlights. “What the hell are you doing-”

“I dropped my plate,” Gavin stutters, Matt approaching him. “I uh...I cut myself.”

“Jesus Gavin,” Matt gasps, gently taking Gavin’s hand into his own, Gavin’s face warming up. “You’re bleeding.”

“The plate broke,” Gavin says weakly, Matt looking up into his eyes. “I tried to pick it all up….” He trails off, moving his gaze to the mess on the floor, Matt following.

“Why’d you bring food here?” Matt looks back over at Gavin, Gavin staring at his shoes.

“I..uh..well…you work really hard...and I...uh..” He catches Matt’s eyes, Matt smiling.

“C’mon, let’s get you stitched up,” Matt tugs softly at Gavin’s arm, pulling him down the hall into his office. Gavin smiles to himself, blush high on his cheeks. _Maybe that didn’t go so badly._

5.

It was all a blur, really. Gavin can remember the police behind them, leaning out of the passenger side window and shooting, Michael gripping the wheel and laughing his head off. He remembers a cop coming up close behind them, the first few hits in the back, but then he’s flying, face first into the pavement. He remembers someone picking him up, not having enough energy to open his eyes. He remembers yelling, and then silence, and then a hand holding his.

When he wakes up, he’s reminded of the first time in the infirmary with Matt as the doctor. _Oh how things have changed._ Well, except the bright lighting. Gavin winces, making a low hissing sound.

“Gavin!” Matt breathes, rushing over to Gavin’s side. “Hey, hey buddy.”

“What….happened….Matthew?” Gavin weakly opens his eyes again, swallowing as best as he can, throat feeling like it’s full of cotton-balls.

“You and Michael were playing around with the LSPD,” Matt starts, picking up a glass of water and handing it to Gavin, helping him sit up. Gavin gives him an appreciative smile, Matt smiling back. “You hit your head. You’re lucky you got off with just a concussion.”

“How long have I been asleep?” Gavin says once he’s regained enough moisture in his mouth, shoving the empty glass back into Matt’s hands, Matt laughing softly under his breath as he sets it down on the table next to the bed.

“Only two days,” Matt shrugs, Gavin’s eyes going wide. He tries to sit up further in his bed, Matt pushing down on his shoulder. “Gav, hold on. You’re still recovering. You got some burns and-”

“Matthew, I have work to do. There was a gang deal yesterday?! Who did that? What about Michael? Is he alright-” Gavin rambles, Matt shaking his head with a soft smile, taking a seat on the bed.

“Gavin, everything is fine. Geoff and Ryan took care of it, and Michael’s fine. He’s been coming in every few hours to make sure _you_ were okay.” Gavin relaxes into his bed, getting a good look at Matt. He sees the bags under Matt’s eyes, his hair sticking up a little in the back, shirt crinkled under his lab coat.

“Matthew, have you been sleeping here?” Gavin asks, Matt’s cheeks twinging pink, Gavin’s heart rate picking up.

“Um...I was just making sure you were going to wake up,” Matt claims, clearing his throat and standing up, sending Gavin a smile. “I-everyone was worried. Now get some rest.” Matt pats Gavin’s head and Gavin squirms away, Matt already making his way out of the office. He closes the door, Gavin watching him with a smile on his face.

+1.

It shouldn’t have happened, everyone knew that. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, everyone knew that.

Or at least, _everyone but Gavin_.

See, in the time Gavin has been apart of this business, he figured out that everyone understands the dangers. That being apart of a crew, especially one like the Fake AH Crew, puts a huge target on your back. Even if you’re not in main crew. Even if you’re a connection from one time. If you know even a smidge about a crew like theirs, you’re put on radars, you’re tracked down. People want to find you, get information out of you, and then kill you. That’s just how it worked. _Especially_ if you’re the doctor.

Since the first few visits with Matt, Gavin has grown very fond of the man. Like, _big giant suffocating crush that he’ll never tell him about._ Gavin and Matt have gotten closer, as they hang out, whether it’s going out for lunch or staying inside and playing video games. But, Gavin is positive, _extremely positive,_ that Matt only sees him in a platonic way, which only breaks his heart slightly. ( _If slightly means lighting it on fire, taking a sledgehammer to it, and then dropping it into the garbage disposal, then yeah, only slightly.)_ There’s just something about Matt, whether it’s his laugh, or his sarcastic and self-deprecating humor, or the way Gavin’s skin tingles at his touch, there’s something that makes Gavin drawn to him. So, Gavin keeps this to himself, keeps his _crush_ to himself- _except_ he tells Geoff, Jack, Michael, Ryan, _and even Jeremy. (Trevor would tell Matt instantly, and Alfredo would tell Trevor. And Lindsay, well, she’s unpredictable.) Okay, so maybe he didn’t keep it to himself._ Regardless, Matt was never to find out. They’d just stay friends, unless, against all the doubts in Gavin’s head, that some part of Matt _liked Gavin back._ Gavin bet that if Matt liked him, he’d tell him. Until then, friends it was.

Gavin learned a lot from Matt, just by watching him work, or listening to him tell stories of all the crazy fixes he’s done. Obviously, this helped when he got a cut and was stuck at a safehouse, or Michael burned himself while lighting some fireworks on Chiliad ( _as per usual),_ or even if he burnt his tongue on too-hot coffee. There was a world of solutions that Matt had shown Gavin, but this was something he didn’t know how to solve. _That he didn’t know if he could._ It was one day _,_ _one day._ That day started out _so good too._

\----

The sun was shining down at their table, setting the mood for how Gavin was feeling - really, _really_ , warm. He and Matt were out for lunch, Matt pulling Gavin away from his desk because he’s been slaving over it, and Matt’s _a doctor,_ he _knows_ when someone needs relaxing when he sees it. Even though Matt would invite Gavin to hang out constantly, each invitation always made Gavin’s heart thud in his chest. Especially because Matt was _worried_ about _Gavin’s_ health _._ The lunch was fun, a light breeze in the air, Gavin’s shoulders losing tension. _He hadn’t realized he was so tense. He’d have to do something for Matt to thank him._ Matt was telling him a story, but Gavin was so lost in his eyes that Matt stopped, eyebrows furrowing.

“Is there something on my face?” He asks, feeling at his face with a napkin. Gavin snaps out of his trance, sitting up straighter in his chair.

“Uh,” Gavin shakes his head, forcing a casual smile, “no, I was..just listening to you. You’re very interesting, Matthew.” He smiles wider as Matt’s cheeks turn pink, Matt’s eyes going to the napkin in his hands.

“Uh, thanks Gav. You’re interesting too.” Matt fiddles with the napkin before looking up at Gavin again, a gleam to his eyes. “You’re looking a lot better.”

“Wow,” Gavin rolls his eyes, putting a hand over his chest, “and I thought you were going to be nice to me.”

“I’m saying you don’t look as tired,” Matt laughs, Gavin’s stomach igniting at the sound. “Now that you’ve got some sun in you.”

“If either of us needs sun, it’s you,” Gavin teases, Matt sticking out his tongue. “All you do is hang inside! Look how pale, Matthew, you’re just so pale!”

“It’s the dark hair! And clothing!”

“Right,” Gavin giggles, Matt smiling and rolling his eyes. “Anyway, what were you sayin?”

“So you _weren’t_ listening to me?!” Matt scoffs, Gavin giggling again. “You asshole.”

“You love me anyway,” Gavin smiles, noticing that Matt freezes, and then, forcing a laugh, relaxes again.

“Sure,” Matt takes a drink of his coffee, Gavin watching as he swallows. _Stop staring._ Gavin looks away, across the square. A little kid is pulling on her mom’s dress, pointing at something in the window at the shop across the street. Her mom is laughing, scooping up the girl in her arms. Gavin looks back over at Matt to catch him staring, Matt’s face going bright red.

“Matt,” Gavin starts, leaning on the small table between them, “I wanted to say thank-” His phone buzzes in his pants, Matt’s eyebrows raising. It rings a few more times, Gavin just staring down at his lap.

“Well aren’t you going to answer that?” Matt asks, Gavin sighing before pulling his phone out.

“Hello?”

“Gavin.” _Geoff._

“Geoff I’m a little busy-”

“We need you back at the penthouse. Trevor found out some information on that crew, and he needs their locations as soon as possible.”

“Can’t I do that later? I’m on a medical release.” Gavin stifles a laugh, Matt rolling his eyes with a smile.

“You can have a date with Matt another time.” Gavin’s face flushes at his comment, checking to make sure Matt didn't see. Matt has his phone in his hands, tapping at the screen.

“Fine, I’ll be back in 5.” Gavin sighs and hangs up, Matt raising an eyebrow at him from behind his phone. “I have to go handle some gang shite or something,” Gavin explains, standing from his seat.

“I get it,” Matt smiles, Gavin frowning. “Really Gav, it’s no big deal. Hey, how about Mario Party later?” Gavin beams at that.

“Yeah, Mario Party.” _Another invitation to hang out, of course he’ll say yes._ “I’ll text you when I’m done.” Gavin starts to walk away, spinning back around to face Matt. “Matthew, didn’t I drive you here?”

“Yeah,” Matt stretches in his chair, Gavin nodding his head at his car.

“Let’s get going then,” Gavin starts, waiting for Matt to get up.

“I actually kinda feel like walking.” Matt takes another sip of his drink before dropping it in the trash nearby.

“Are you sure? I don’t-”

“I can walk, Gav.” Matt smiles and stands, sliding his phone in his back pocket. “You’re right, I do need a little more sun. I thought I could walk around the center a little before heading back.” Gavin nods and walks off, Matt waving him goodbye.

_He shouldn’t have walked away._

\----

See, the thing with the Fake AH Crew is, is that they’re followed, even when they think they aren’t. They’re all trained to watch their surroundings, to be cautious, on edge, even in the most calming situations. But Gavin, he loses all train of thought around Matt. Crush thing and all-that.

So he didn’t realize that someone was watching, waiting for Gavin to go on his own, with the hope of getting their hands on him. Fortunately for Gavin, he parked close, and no one had enough time to get him.

Unfortunately for Gavin, they decided Matt was just as valuable.

\----

Gavin hadn’t even got back to the penthouse when he knew something was wrong, in his gut. He trusted Matt, _with his life_ , but there was something that made him uneasy about leaving him alone. _He should’ve insisted._ Gavin shakes his head and hops out of his car, taking the elevator up to the top floor. The second he steps out of the elevator he’s grabbed by Alfredo and dragged into the meeting room, where Trevor, Geoff, and Jack wait for him.

He spent hours in that room, working and talking and typing away. They got the location by the end of the night, and Gavin was spent. Trevor and Jack left early to work on something else, ( _Gavin was too busy to listen),_ and Geoff retired a few hours later for some shut eye. But Alfredo stayed the whole time, bringing Gavin coffee and red bull and snacks, making sure he didn’t have a heart-attack from sitting at a computer for hours on end. Finding locations on a practically unknown gang was when things were hard, but Gavin was used to it. It’d take an ametur a few days, but Gavin a mere few hours. He wasn’t the Golden Boy for nothing.

Still though, he was wrecked by the time he texted Trevor with the good news, he found 4 warehouses and 2 main bases. He also found the locations where they get their guns, and the dock where they have a few boats. For being so unknown, they weren’t doing so badly.

“I just texted Trevor,” Gavin pipes up to Alfredo, the first words spoken since Geoff left. Alfredo nods from where he sits, sliding his feet off the table and checking his watch.

“1 am, not bad,” Alfredo laughs. “We should head off to sleep,” He yawns, standing from his chair, Gavin giving him a small smile. “My back is killing me.”

“Tell me about it,” Gavin groans, stretching, his back popping in quick succession. Gavin makes a face, Alfredo laughing and swinging an arm around his shoulders.

“C’mon, let’s get some rest.” Alfredo and Gavin walk out of the room, separating at their doors, saying soft goodnights. Gavin closes his door gently behind him, closing his eyes. His phone buzzes in his pocket, Gavin sliding it out to see a text from Trevor.

**_You’re the best! :)_ **

Gavin snorts to himself, looking through his other texts. He sees a text from Matt sent hours earlier, his eyes widening. _Matthew! I completely forgot to text him!_ Gavin opens the text, a smile growing on his face.

**_Lunch was fun. I’m glad I got you out of your office. I’d do it again, any time._ **

Gavin types a quick reply, sliding his phone back into his pants. He throws himself onto his bed, barely having the energy to slide off his shoes, falling asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow.

\----

Dried drool is on Gavin’s chin when he wakes up, usually perfect hair in a crusty-gel mess. He groans and rolls out of bed, stripping out of his clothes and hopping into the shower in his ensuite. Clean and fresh he steps out, walking over to the mirror and looking at himself. _He does need a bit more sun_ , he notices, eyes going wide. _Matthew!_ Gavin sprints into his bedroom, towel barely wrapped around his waist, and fumbles for his pants, digging out his phone. He scrolls through his new notifications, but there’s no text from Matt. _That’s weird,_ Gavin thinks, shaking it off. _He’s probably just busy._ A brick sinks in his stomach anyway, but he pushes it aside. _Matthew’s fine._

It isn’t until that afternoon when the paranoia sets in. _He still hasn’t texted,_ Gavin thinks as he bites on his bottom lip, sitting a the dinner table, Michael eating a burrito across from him. Gavin’s eyes are glued to his phone, turning on and off his phone again, waiting for a new text. _Maybe he’s ignoring you?_ Gavin shakes his head. _No, he had fun yesterday...didn’t he?_

“Gavin,” Michael says harshly, Gavin’s eyes shooting up to meet his. “Jesus, I’ve been trying to get your attention for like 10 minutes.”

“Sorry,” Gavin mumbles, setting his phone on the table. “I’ve been a little distracted.”

“Uh yeah,” Michael rolls his eyes, taking a bite of his burrito. “What’s up your ass anyway? You keep staring at your phone.”

“Um…” Gavin starts, looking between the table and Michael’s face. Michael stops eating, raising an eyebrow.

“Gavin, what’s going on?”

“Um..I’m just,” Gavin sighs, Michael leaning forward. “I’m worried about Matthew.”

“Matt? What do you mean?”

“He hasn’t texted me back,” Gavin picks up the phone, seeing no new texts. “And, we were supposed to play Mario Party yesterday, and he has never not replied, ya know? Maybe I’m just delusional.”

“Now that I think about it,” Michael sits back in his chair, tapping his chin, “Matt and I were supposed to play some Mario Kart. I bet that I could beat him in a race, and he loves a challenge.”

“You know he’s the best racer, right?” Gavin scoffs. “There’s no way you could beat him.”

“How do you know, you two go on a little Mario-Kart date?” Michael wiggles his eyebrows, Gavin’s face turning pink.

“Shut it Michael, he doesn’t even like me like that.” Gavin sits back in his seat and crosses his arms, Michael rolling his eyes. “Besides, don’t we have a bigger issue here?”

“Let’s go check the infirmary,” Michael says as he stands, finishing his burrito in one bite. “If he’s not there, we’ll check his apartment.”

“And if he’s not there?” Gavin looks up at Michael, Michael shaking his head.

“Let’s just start where we know, okay?” Michael waits, Gavin giving a nod. “Okay, good.” They both walk towards the door, Gavin sliding his phone in his pocket. _Start where we know._

\----

Matt wasn’t in the infirmary wing of the building, completely remodeled to be easy to clean and easy to access for the crew, the lights off and door locked. They decided they’d check Matt’s apartment first, before getting the other’s involved. _He could be sick, or taking the day off. Don’t worry the others just yet._ When they pull up to Matt’s apartment complex, Gavin’s brain is saying the same thing over and over again; _there’s something wrong._

“Stop worrying so much,” Michael wraps an arm around Gavin’s shoulders, giving them a squeeze. Gavin gives him a look, Michael rolling his eyes. “It’s all over your face. Gav, I’m sure he’s fine.” _How can you be so sure,_ Gavin thinks, but he gives Michael a small smile instead.

“Right.” They take the stairs up, reaching Matt’s place on the third floor. “Well, are we just going to knock?”

“Yup,” Michael leans forward and pounds his knuckles on the door, both of them standing back. The cars beep outside the complex, no noises coming from inside the room. Michael leans forward and knocks again, the hall silent. Michael slides out his gun, raising it to shoot the knob, Gavin placing a hand on his arm. He shakes his head, leaning over and retrieving a spare key from underneath the welcome mat.

“How’d you know about that?” Michael asks, wiggling his eyebrows. Gavin rolls his eyes and sticks the key into the lock, pushing open the door. They both raise their guns and step inside, finding the place empty, and unharmed.

“Looks empty,” Michael says as he slides his gun back in the holster, he and Gavin walking further into the apartment, a meow startling them. “Matt has a cat?” Michael’s voice raises in confusion, Gavin smiling and cooing softly at the cat, crouching and petting the top of his head.

“His name’s Donut,” Gavin murmurs, following the cat over to the food bowl. “He hasn’t been fed, and his water bowl’s empty.” Gavin spins around, a mix of worry and confusion on his face. “Michael, I don’t think Matthew’s been here.”

“Like he didn’t go home?” Michael walks towards Gavin, crossing his arms over his chest. Gavin nods and turns back towards the cat, Donut purring and rubbing against Gavin’s legs. “Okay, maybe we should call Geoff.”

“Do you think he’s alright?” Gavin says after a moment, eyes glued to the cat in front of him.

“He will be, Gav,” Michael places a hand on Gavin’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “He will be.” 

\----

“Guys.” Gavin rushes into the penthouse, Michael on his tail, noting the empty room. They look at each other confused.

“Where’s-” Michael starts, Jack rushing into the room.

“There you guys are!” Jack exclaims, waving a hand to follow her. “Mandatory crew meeting.”

“There’s more important things going on,” Gavin says as they follow her, Jack stopping and opening the door, rolling her eyes at Gavin.

“Gav, we’ll get to your personal problems later-”

“But he’s right,” Michael cuts in, Jack scoffing and shoving them in the room. Gavin raises his eyebrows as Trevor stands in front of the table, Geoff taking a seat instead. Ryan sits in his usual seat whittling a piece of wood with a knife, mask and leather jacket on, Jeremy... _asleep?_ next to him, feet up on the table, cowboy hat covering his face. Alfredo sits on the other side of Ryan, looking up from where he’s drawing a dick on the table with a dry-erase marker to look at them as they walk in. The white board behind Trevor is decorated with pictures of warehouses and vans and locations, screenshots Gavin sent him last night. Trevor has stack of papers in his hands, and he smiles and nods at Jack as she closes the door behind her.

“Finally,” Geoff groans, ruffling Gavin’s hair as he takes the seat next to him before turning his attention to Trevor. Michael slides into the seat in between Gavin and Alfredo, Jack giving Geoff a kiss on the cheek before sitting on his other side. Geoff looks at Trevor, smiling wide. “Alright, begin.” He waves his hands and Trevor nods, clearing his throat.

“Alright guys, we found a crew that’s been infringing on our territory,” Trevor looks directly at Gavin and smiles, “thanks to our Golden Boy here.” Geoff claps Gavin on his back, Gavin’s face worried. “So, since we found their main bases of operation, we need to plan an attack-”

“Uh, Treyco?” Gavin cuts in, Trevor patiently looking over at him, Jack sending him a stern look. “We have a problem.”

“What, you want more praise than normal?” Jeremy teases, sitting up in his chair, earning a chuckle from Alfredo.

“No I-”

“Gavin, let Trevor finish before you talk about whatever this problem is, okay?” Jack glares, Gavin opening his mouth to protest but Michael stands, slamming a hand on the table.

“Matt’s missing,” he booms, the room going silent. Trevor’s eyes go wide, Jack looking between Gavin and Michael.

“What?” Jeremy asks, shocked gaze on Michael, shifting over to Geoff. “Geoff, do you know what he’s talking about?”

“No,” Geoff says slowly, spinning to face Michael and Gavin. “What _are_ you talking about?” They’re both silent, Michael resting a hand on Gavin’s shoulder. Gavin looks up at him, Michael nodding.

“Well,” Gavin begins, taking a shaky breath, “Matt and I went out for lunch yesterday-”

“You went out for lunch with Matt?” Alfredo teases, earning stern looks from everyone. His smile falls. “Sorry. Continue.”

“Anyway, I get the call from you, Geoff,” Gavin continues, Geoff nodding, “and Matt said he was going to walk home. He said he’d text me and he didn’t and we checked the infirmary and he wasn’t there and then we checked his apartment and it looked like he hadn’t been there all night.”

“So we think he’s been missing since yesterday afternoon,” Michael adds on, Gavin closing his eyes. He reopens them and looks around the room, barely paying attention to the conversation.

“You think someone grabbed him?” Jack asks, Geoff shaking his head.

“Who even knows about him?” Geoff reasons, furrowing his eyebrows. “I mean, Gavin’s pretty recognizable if you know who you’re looking for, but- Gavin what are you doing?” Gavin sprints over to the white board, grabbing a picture off and looking at it with wide eyes.

“Earth to Gavin!” Michael shouts, Gavin’s head whipping up from where his hands grip the picture. He looks back down at it and lifts it up, pointing to it.

“I took this from live footage yesterday,” Gavin says, pointing to the security footage date in the corner, reading the time. “It’s dated 15 minutes after Geoff’s call, in the alley outside the square Matt and I were at.” Gavin looks at the photo again, biting on his bottom lip. The room is silent, Trevor, turning to face Gavin.

“Are you saying that this crew has Matt?” He asks, and Gavin glances up at him, scratching the back of his head.

“They might.”

“It’s a good assumption,” Jack agrees, nodding at Gavin before facing the rest of them. “The problem is, this crew has multiple locations. We’d have to try to follow the van through security footage, and fast.”

“If they don’t kill Matt first,” Ryan mutters, the room looking at him. “What? It’s true. They’ve had him to this point, if he’s not dead already. He clearly hasn’t spilt anything about us, they could kill him at any moment.” Gavin swallows harshly, crumpling the picture in his hand, shoving it in his pocket.

“What’s the plan Geoff?” Jeremy asks the man, Geoff holding his head in his hands. He looks up, face tired.

“We can split up, go look at each warehouse in groups of two,” Alfredo suggests, Michael shaking his head.

“That’ll take too long and make us weak if it was two against a whole crew, no matter who’s going in or not.” Alfredo nods in agreement, Michael looking over at Geoff. “Our best bet is to go with Jack’s plan of tracking down the van.”

“Can you do that, Gav?” Geoff turns to Gavin, where he stands in front of the room, hands in fists at his sides. “It needs to be done fast, and there’s a lot riding on whether the footage can tell us anything or not.” Gavin looks up at everyone, eyes on him, and nods, face determined.

“Of course I can, Geoff.”

“Gavin are you-” Michael butts in, Gavin lifting a hand to stop him.

“I can do it.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Michael leaps up from his seat, the rest of the crew following suit. “To find Matt!” They all file out of the room, Gavin left behind, eyes glued to the floor. Trevor pauses in the doorway, turning around to face Gavin.

“We’re gonna find him,” He says, and Gavin looks up. Trevor sends him a smile before disappearing outside the room, Gavin nodding and following him out. _To find Matthew._

\----

It wasn’t until that evening when they got to him, Gavin exhausted from staring at a screen for hours, having to rewind footage to find that moment. The sun was just barely setting as Michael and Jeremy emerge from the warehouse, Matt between them, weak but awake. The wave of relief that washed over Gavin almost caused him to fall over, and as soon as Matt was in sight, he sprinted.

“Matthew,” Gavin cries, rushing over, wrapping Matt in a hug. Matt takes his arms away from Jeremy and Michael’s waists, hugging Gavin back.

“I’m okay Gav, it’s alright,” Matt whispers, Gavin tucking his face into the crook in his neck. Matt pulls away, holding Gavin’s shoulders. “I’m okay Gav.”

“No you’re not,” Gavin whimpers, lightly reaching up and tracing bruises on Matt’s jaw and face. “They hurt you, Matthew.” Gavin looks behind Matt at the warehouse, eyebrows furrowing. “They’re gonna-”

“Ryan’s already got it,” Michael pipes up, patting Gavin on the shoulder. “They’ll regret grabbing Matt.” Gavin looks back at Matt, tears forming in his eyes.

“Don’t do that again,” Gavin mutters, pulling Matt in for a hug again, tighter this time. He closes his eyes, resting his chin on Matt’s shoulder.

“I won’t,” Matt laughs, shaking his head. “I won’t.”

“C’mon, Matt needs to get stitched up,” Jack says from behind them, Gavin jumping away from Matt, face burning. Jack looks between the two, raising an eyebrow. “Let’s go Matt,” Jack beckons Matt to follow her, Matt walking in her direction.

“Wait!” Gavin calls, the two spinning around. He swallows, giving Matt a once-over. “I’ll...I’ll do it. I’ll stitch him up.”

“Gavin I-” Jack starts, Michael cutting her off.

“Jack, let Gavin do it.” They stare at each other for a moment before Jack nods, Gavin jogging over to Matt’s side. He looks back at Michael, giving him an appreciative smile, Michael nodding.

“Okay then,” Matt smiles, wincing at the bruise on his jaw. Gavin grabs his arm and pulls him to the car, breathing a sigh of relief. Gavin looks down to where his hand is wrapped around Matt’s wrist, Matt’s arm slung over his shoulders, Gavin’s arm around his waist. His side tingles from where Matt presses against him, and despite the stress of the last few hours, Gavin _smiles._

\----

Gavin and Matt sit on the couch in the penthouse, the first aid kit laid out beside them as Gavin wipes the blood from Matt’s face. Matt’s breathing is steady, his eyes closed. Gavin stops wiping his face, reaching over to the kit.

“I’m gonna stitch that cut now,” Gavin tells Matt, Matt nodding without opening his eyes. Gavin grabs the needle and the thread, hands shaking as he tries to loop the thread through. He looks up at Matt’s face, tears stinging his eyes as he looks back down a the needle. He tries to thread it again, but can’t get it through, biting at his bottom lip as his hands shake. “Just a sec,” Gavin manages, swallowing harshly and forcing a laugh, “I can’t get the bloody thread through.”

“Let me do it,” Matt murmurs, taking the needle and thread out of Gavin’s hands. Gavin’s eyes go to Matt’s face, lip stuck out of his mouth in concentration. “Aha!” Matt smiles proudly as he lifts the threaded needle in front of his eyes, face falling at Gavin’s tears. “Oh Gav,” Matt puts his arms down, bumping his knee against Gavin’s. “I’m alright.”

“That could’ve been it, Matt.” Gavin looks away, eyes on the floor between them. “I could’ve never seen you again, ya know? And I….I don’t want to live without you around.” Gavin chokes, shaking his head, eyes never leaving the floor. “I can’t imagine not hanging out with you and stuff.”

“That’s what we sign up for in this business, Gav.” Gavin looks up at Matt, who shrugs. “We’re not invincible.”

“How can you be so _calm_ about this? You could’ve died.” Gavin watches as Matt sighs, him now looking away, out the windows.

“Remember how I used to be a hacker?”

“Yeah, but you switched to being a doctor because you want to help others,” Gavin replies, raising an eyebrow as Matt shakes his head.

“That’s only part of it.” Matt takes a deep breath before facing Gavin again, face solemn. “I was apart of a crew, not too long ago. Their main hacker. I trusted those guys, each one of them like family.” Matt moves his gaze to the windows again, Gavin reaching out and squeezing his knee. “Well, turns out they didn’t care about me as much as I thought they did. I was kidnapped, much like this time, but they never came for me. I had to escape on my own.”

“Oh Matthew..” Gavin starts, Matt shaking his head, facing Gavin with a small smile.

“That’s why I became a doctor. It’s less dangerous. But I know I’m still a target, albeit a small one.” He takes another deep breath, closing his eyes. “That’s why I took the job in this crew. I was tired of freelance and heard you guys needed a doctor, that this crew was full of trust. But... also, I knew that _you_ were apart of this crew.”

“Me?” Gavin goes wide-eyed, Matt nodding and opening his eyes, staring at Gavin directly.

“I’ve..uh…” Matt scratches the back of his neck, face turning pink. Gavin smiles at the sight. “I’ve always looked up to you. You’re the best hacker there is.”

“Oh,” Gavin blushes deeply, Matt forcing a laugh before reaching out to Gavin, taking one of his hands into his own.

“And getting to know you…..it’s been really awesome. You’re so funny and curious and kind, and you like to tease others and can take it yourself, and….uh..” Matt swallows, Gavin watching him intently, eyes tracing Matt’s face.

“And?” Gavin urges, Matt laughing and squeezing Gavin’s hand.

“And...I really like you.” Matt looks up into Gavin’s eyes, Gavin stunned, heart pounding in his chest. Matt takes his hand away, setting his hands on his lap, moving his gaze to them. “The whole time they had me, I wasn’t thinking about whether you guys would get me or whether I’d die in there, I was wondering if I’d ever see you again. I knew that if I did, I had to tell you how I felt.” They’re both silent, Gavin still staring at Matt, Matt still looking down at his lap. _This can’t be real,_ Gavin thinks to himself, smiling despite the doubts. _Matt likes me?_ “If you don’t like me back,” Matt continues, finally meeting Gavin’s eyes, “then that’s fine. Like, I still wanna be friends, ya know? I just-”

“I was thinking the same thing!” Gavin bursts suddenly. Matt’s face falls, Gavin’s eyes widening. Matt looks away, sighing.

“Oh, um, well I’m glad you still want to be friends-”

“ _No_ Matt,” Gavin reaches over and takes Matt’s hands, giggling. “I was talking about you worrying you’d never see me again and deciding to tell me your feelings.” They both stare at each other, Matt’s face lighting up in a smile.

“You called me Matt,” Matt laughs, Gavin rolling his eyes and pushing at his shoulder.

“ _Matthew_ , that’s not important right now!”

“It kinda is.”

“I really hate you,” Gavin laughs, holding Matt’s hands again. He moves his gaze to their intertwined fingers, beaming. “Actually, I really _like_ you.”

“You do?” Gavin can hear the doubt in Matt’s voice, and he looks up at him, seeing the hesitance in his eyes.

“I’ll prove it.” Gavin takes a breath and leans forward, pressing his lips against Matt’s. He disconnects their hands and cups Matt’s face, Matt making a _mmpf_ noise before returning the kiss, Gavin feeling his smile. They pull back, both grinning, bursting into laughter.

“We’re like teenagers,” Matt jokes, Gavin shaking his head and giggling.

“ _No_ , Matthew. We’re criminals.”

“Criminals,” Matt repeats, shaking his head with a smile. “Are we sure we should be together? That it’ll be alright?”

“It’s never alright Matthew,” Gavin shrugs, Matt chuckling.

“I mean, it’s gonna get complicated, isn’t it?”

“It’s not fun if it isn’t.”

\----

Caleb came back a month later, and Matt was expected to move down to B-team. Matt was packing up his stuff, getting ready to give Caleb his office back, when Gavin walked in.

“May I come in?” Gavin says as he knocks on the already open door. Matt looks up from the box he’s filling and smiles, Gavin walking over to him.

“Hey Gav,” Matt gives Gavin a kiss as he walks over, turning his attention back to the box. “Just stopping by to see your favorite boy?”

“Actually,” Gavin objects, Matt raising an eyebrow, “ _Michael_ is my favorite boy. You’re my favorite boyfriend.” Gavin giggles as Matt rolls his eyes, shuffling through the box sitting on his desk. “And I’m actually here to tell you something.”

“What, you’re dumping me for Michael?” Matt glances up to see Gavin squawking, mocking offense.

“Never!” They both laugh, Gavin resting his head against Matt’s shoulder. “And no, I’m actually offering you a position.” Matt straightens and gives Gavin a once-over, Gavin smirking.

“What are you up to?” He asks, Gavin’s smirk deepening.

“How would you feel if _AxialMatt_ was apart of the Fake AH Crew... as my partner?”

\----

  
The police sirens blare loudly in the distance, Gavin laughing as he rips the pin out of the grenade in his hands and throws it, watching a bunch of cop cars blow apart. He smiles and looks over at Matt, who stands against the other side of the alley, a gun in each hand. Matt stops looking down the alley and faces Gavin, the fire of blown cars around them lighting his face, sweat dripping down his forehead, a gleam to his eyes that Gavin smiles even wider at. Matt rolls his eyes but returns the smile, reloading his guns. Matt looks at the street again, Gavin glancing down at his shoulder, the one that was shot all those months ago. _Oh, how things have changed._ Gavin looks at Matt again, an energy surging through him at the chaos around them. _He wouldn’t have it any other way._

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Feel free to leave kudos/comments! Very much appreciated!! :) - syd


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